


A Million Reasons, Part 1

by subcutaneous7



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 14:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8628607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subcutaneous7/pseuds/subcutaneous7
Summary: While comforting Alex, Kara is confronted with some truths of her own.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr. Longer sequel to come, because I'm wild like that. Enjoy!

Kara felt like a zombie when she got home from Alex’s place. She was exhausted, emotionally and physically, but none of that mattered compared to how worried she was for her sister. She’d never seen her like this, so broken and scared. It terrified her in more ways than one, but she knew she had to be strong. It was her turn to be the rock, the shoulder, everything Alex had always been for her growing up and over the past year especially. If anything, she was just glad she could finally return the favor.

She dropped her keys on the table, removing her coat before shuffling into the living room and plopping onto the couch. Alex would be fine. This was good. Difficult, but good. She wished she could find Maggie and rough her up, or shake some sense into her, either way, but Alex made her promise she wouldn’t, and she was never one to break a promise, even those she made to herself.

But right now, a little voice in the back of her head threatened one such promise. Her chest burned, throat heavy with confusion and unspoken words and all the things she knew she had to keep inside because this wasn’t her story. It was Alex’s story, and for once she wanted her to have something of her own. For as long as Kara could remember, she had been making everything about herself, prioritizing her own needs and fears above everyone else’s. She felt selfish, but beyond that, she felt lonely and lost, even as her fingers reached for her phone and began scrolling through her contacts. 

Everything in her told her not to. Everything in her told her not now.  _Why now?_  she thought, but before she knew it, she was pressing the screen, pulling the phone to her ear, holding her breath as she bit at her cuticles and listened to it dial.

“Kara?”

“Hi…Ms. Grant,” she squinted, face turning beet red as she pulled a pillow into her lap. 

“Is something wrong? Don’t tell me: Evelyn deleted all my archived files. Not to worry, I have a backup flash…thumb…thingy in the drawer under my…”  
  
“What? No, Ms. Grant, that’s not…”  
  
“Is the building burning?”  
  
“W-what?” Kara stuttered. “No…”  
  
“Someone accidentally printed a slur? A photo leaked…”  
  
“No, no, nothing like that I just…wanted to say hi. See how you’re doing.”  
  
“Oh,” she could hear Cat swallow. “Hello.”

“How…” Kara grimaced at the reaction. “…how are you?”  
  
“Fine,” Cat sighed. “Though it’s a little late to be making small talk, don’t you think?”

“I…” Kara’s heart fell. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

“Don’t be silly,” she spoke a little more softly. “I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”

“Well you…could have called too, you know.”

Kara wasn’t about to be guilted, especially when she wasn’t the one who left.

“Yes,” her voice lowered another octave. “I suppose…I could. So, how is it working under Snapper’s reign of terror? Or have you managed to win him over yet?”

“It’s not…that bad,” Kara admitted. “I think he’s beginning to trust me. And I’m definitely learning, a lot, but…it still isn’t the same without you.”

“Mmm,” she heard the sound of ice cubes clinking as Cat took a sip of something. “Of course it isn’t. I don’t expect things to be perfect, but this is the way it has to be. For now.”

“Does that…” Kara tried to keep her voice steady. “I mean…have you thought about what you want to do, or…when you might be coming back?”

“It’s only been four weeks.”

“I know, I just…”

“These things take time,” Cat insisted. “It took decades to build one empire, I can’t expect to snap my fingers and have another one magically rise from the ashes in a matter of…” she hiccuped “…four weeks. I’m not a witch, despite what some may think.”

“I…no one thinks that,” Kara shook her head, smiling a little. She’d missed this, all of it.

“What are you doing up so late?” Cat finally asked. “And why did you really call me? Have you been drinking?”

“No, Ms. Grant, I told you…” she sighed. “I just…wanted to see how you were. I…I missed you.”

The line was silent. Kara felt like her blood might shoot straight through her skin, her pulse was racing so fast. Maybe this was a mistake.

“I miss you too,” Cat told her, a bit coldly. “For someone who hasn’t been drinking, this sure sounds an awful lot like a drunk dial.”

“I think you’re projecting,” Kara dared, burying herself further into the cushions. “Why is it that everyone thinks alcohol will solve their problems? Because I can tell you from recent experience that it does not.“  
  
“You don’t drink,” Cat huffed. “You never drink.”  
  
“I do…sometimes!” she defended. “I did, recently, and let me tell you, it was not great.”  
  
“What?” Cat gasped a little. “How…how did you get home? Why didn’t you call me?”  
  
“It’s fine,” Kara quickly assured. “My sister came for me and I…didn’t know I could.”  
  
“Of course,” she breathed, and Kara melted. “You can always, always call me. God knows you’ve put me in my fair share of late night rides across town.”  
  
“That’s…good to know.”

“So…” she could almost feel her smirk on the other end. “Kara Danvers, drunk. I wouldn’t mind seeing that.”  
  
“Well…” she fumbled, skin flaming, the ache in her stomach starting to creep lower. “That’s…really what I called about, actually. I mean…not for you to see me drunk, but just…”

“Spit it out, darling,” Cat teased.

“I um…” Kara couldn’t believe how quickly the conversation had turned, how natural it all felt. “Thanksgiving is next week, and I know you usually work because Carter’s with his father and you don’t really mind being alone, but…if…if you did, this year, since you’re not at work, I…you’d be more than welcome to come to my place. I mean, other people will be here too…Alex, Winn…but I would really, really love it if you came. No pressure, I just…wanted to throw it out there if…you did.”

More silence. For once Kara was glad Cat wasn’t there. She was sure she would have heard her heart knocking at her chest like a fist at the door, powers or not.

“That’s incredibly sweet,” she finally spoke, voice just above a whisper. “But…I don’t think I’ll be back in town by then.”

“Oh,” Kara exhaled. “Sure, yeah, that’s fine. I just figured I’d offer, you know? Just in case.”

“Thank you,” Cat sniffed. “Really…it means a lot.”

“Of course. Where are you, exactly…”

“Here and there,” Cat answered quickly. “And I should really be going.”

“Okay,” Kara swallowed. “Well it was…really nice talking to you, Ms. Grant. I…I hope it won’t be too long…before we see each other again.”

“Me too,” Cat sighed. “Goodbye, Kara.”

“Goodnight,” she breathed, and then, she was gone.

Kara curled up in a ball on the sofa, pulling her knees beneath her, squeezing the pillow hard, refusing to sob. 

This was not her story. This was not her time.

She lie awake for hours, sniffing back tears, smiling up at the ceiling, thinking about Cat and all the adventures she could be having, thankful for the sound of her voice, for her kindness, even if she hadn’t said as much as she’d hoped. One day, she’d be back, and by then maybe, just maybe, Maggie would get her act together, Alex would be happy, and maybe then, it would be time.


End file.
